APPLES.
The parent of the apples of the orchard is a scraggly tree with sour, crabbed fruit enclosing the core and seeds. It grows wild in the southeastern parts of Europe, and the neighboring countries of Asia Minor. From these parts it moved with the drift of population westward, and was gradually improved, until now it is grown throughout the North Temperate Zone, and is spreading in South America, Africa, and Australia. Along with civili zation, the apple has marched for unnumbered cen turies, the little nubbins found among the remains of the early Lake-dwellers greatly improved upon by the apples of classical literature. The varieties shown at a horticultural fair in any country to day are all lineal descendants of that first wild type.
The method of multiplying a good variety has been by grafting (or budding) a scion of the desired kind on a healthy apple tree whose fruit may not be counted so desirable. The scion unites with the stock, and through it a branch is produced that bears the fruit desired. On small trees, the top is made by the grafting process. One scion is set on top of the main stalk, and through this twig all growth is changed over to the new variety. The root and stem minister to the bearing top which is not their own, but a relative by marriage! To find out in the easiest way what that ancient parent apple was like, we must stop on the wayside and taste the fruit of a tree that has sprung from a chance seed of a core thrown away by some travel ler who passed by, years ago. Gnarled is the tree and insipid the fruit! Plant an orchard with seeds of your favorite apples, and wait for them to bear. The wild apple of the wayside had quite as good fruit as that you will get. Seedling apples are un certain for the orchardist. He makes his choice of varieties and plants trees grafted to these. The plant breeder may grow seedling apple trees in hope of discovering one in a thousand that bears good fruit. He plays a game with Nature. Once
in a lifetime a fine seedling variety is discovered. Such is the Wealthy apple, discovered in a Minne sota experimental orchard some years ago. The Fameuse, or Snow apple, comes true from seed. For centuries it has been passed along by seeds carried and sent into new territory, in Canada and the United States, from its home in France, until it is distributed across the country.
The native wild apples of this country are to be found in the woods to-day; we call them wild crab apples. The eastern species is the only one the early botanists saw. Later, another kind was found from New Jersey to Florida, and westward, — the narrow-leaved crab. In the central states the Iowa crab, and in the northwest the Oregon crab, make four species of wild apples in North America. Siberia has a wild crab, parent of the cultivated crabs we grow in gardens. These little apples are distinct. We use them for jellies and sweet pickles.
Notably good fruit has resulted from crossing different species of wild apples. Some natural crosses have furnished good kinds. The Indians used the wild apples for food, and were quick to adopt the varieties introduced by settlers. In North and South America remnants of Indian apple orchards still persist, where their cornfields have been obliterated years ago.
Apples grow far north, but they require a hot summer to come to good size and color and fine flavor. The climate makes Nova Scotia one of the best apple countries in the world.
Canada is a great apple region. Vermont and northern New York, with their cold winters and deep snows, produce apples of the finest quality.
Great apple regions in the Northwest and in Colorado, California, and other states are supply ing an ever-increasing demand for the fruit in the states west of the Rocky Mountains. Some of the finest apples in New York and London are grown in the Northwest.